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News
American Quilter's Society to bring convention to Knoxville
On February 12, officials from the Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation (KTSC), the City of Knoxville, Knox County and the Knoxville Convention Center (KCC) announced at a press conference that the American Quilter's Society (AQS) has agreed to bring its International Convention to Knoxville in 2009, 2010 and 2011.
The convention will be hosted at the KCC all three years, and will bring approximately 10,000+ visitors to Knoxville each year. Over the course of the four day event, AQS convention attendees can participate in lectures, classes and contests appealing to the needlework enthusiast. In addition to hosting guests from 45 American states at this convention, Knoxville will also welcome visitors from more that 15 countries!
[ photo: Pictured from left to right are Mary Bogert, Knoxville Convention Center, Mayor Bill Haslam, City of Knoxville, Bonnie Browning, American Quilter's Society, Mayor Mike Ragsdale, Knox County and Gloria Ray, Knoxville Tourism & Sports Corporation. ]
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Meeting planners "Look What's Cooking in Knoxville!"
This March, KTSC hosted a "Look What's Cooking in Knoxville!" Familiarization Tour (FAM), where 10 meeting planners and three guests spent four days in Knoxville touring its accommodations, facilities, attractions and services. The meeting planners traveled to Knoxville from Arizona, Colorado, South Carolina, Missouri, Ohio, Tennessee, New Jersey, Oklahoma, New Hampshire and Mississippi. The planners represented all markets, from religion to hobbies to group tours.
Additionally, representatives from third-party meeting planning organizations like Experient and ConferenceDirect attended the FAM. Approximately 95 percent of the FAM attendees had never visited Knoxville before, so the FAM highlighted the city's best attractions like Sunsphere, Knoxville Zoo and the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.
[ photo: KTSC Sales Manager Laney Shorter with "Look What's Cooking in Knoxville!" FAM Attendees. ]
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Knoxville in the News
Throughout the past quarter, Knoxville attractions were featured in several publications. Highlights included a "Letter to the Editor" in the Feb. 17th Boston Globe that highlighted downtown Knoxville's green-friendly Krutch Park and an article in February's Charlotte Parent that showcased a few of Knoxville's family-friendly attractions.
Additionally, April's Southern Living featured the Knoxville Visitor Center's WDVX Blue Plate Special, a live, daily, free concert series that features some of the nation's best Americana music performances.
[ photo: February 2008 issue of Charlotte Parent Magazine. ]
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It's all about the food
With the openings of world-renowned restaurants and tasty eateries in downtown Knoxville, this area is sure to satisfy any craving! The upscale Ruth's Chris Steak House chain has opened its largest location in downtown Knoxville right on the banks of the Tennessee River. The Market Square district, a pedestrian-only area in downtown Knoxville full of shops and restaurants, has also gained several new eateries in the past six months, including Trio Cafe - a snappy-casual salad and sandwich shop - and La Costa - an environment-friendly fusion of New South and Latino-style food.
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Knoxville's downtown revitalization
The hippest and hottest place to hang out in Knoxville is the revitalized downtown and Old City area. With unique restaurants and entertaining nightlife, this area is always hoppin'! In fact, for the first time since 1999, downtown Knoxville's Sunsphere has reopened to the public. The great golden globe atop a 266-foot tower symbolizing the energy-themed 1982 World's Fair features the fourth-floor observation deck and another level for events and gatherings - not to mention Southern Graces, an on-site caterer, which takes care of the menu for event planners! Additionally, a new 8-screen Regal Riviera movie theatre opened to the public in July 2007.
[ photo: Knoxville's iconic Sunsphere. ]
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Two new, fresh and bright faces in Knoxville
The KTSC announces the addition of two newly hired sales managers, Laney Shorter and Jeffrey John. Shorter came to KTSC in June, 2007 with more than eight years of experience, including a wide variety of markets from Sprint to the Hilton Knoxville hotel. Shorter's main markets at KTSC will include science, government and state associations. Her favorite aspect of being a sales manager at KTSC is "being in contact with so many different people to sell the city that she loves!" John comes to KTSC from Massillon, Ohio where he served as the sports promotion manager of the Canton/Stark County Convention & Visitor's Bureau. With over 10 years of experience in the hospitality industy, John's sporting event expertise is sure to hit many home runs for Knoxville!
[ photo: (woman): Shorter, (man): John ]
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Where has the KTSC sales team traveled this winter?
The KTSC sales team never sleeps! From January to March 2008, the team traveled to:
- Atlanta, GA for a Christian Meeting Planners Expo
- Salt Lake City, UT for a presentation to the Federation of Genealogical Societies
- Nashville, TN for a Sports Marketing Meeting
- Fall Creek Falls, TN for the "Blizzard II" event of the Tennessee Association of Convention & Visitors Bureaus
- Houston, TX for the Airborne Law Enforcement Association Bid Presentation
- Virginia Beach, VA to visit with the American Bus Association
- Washington D.C. for the Association for Convention Marketing Executives & Destination Showcase
- Orlando, FL for the Religious Conference Management Association event
- Atlanta, GA for the Southeast Marketplace
Additionally, the following organizations visited with the KTSC staff this winter and toured everything Knoxville has to offer: VM Goldschmidt, Association for the Promotion of Campus Activities, American Nuclear Society, Electrical Power Research Institute Low Level Waste Conference, Tennessee Society of Nuclear Medicine Technologies and Triton Boats.
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KTSC loses 'cheerleader for Knoxville'
Deborah Redman, former KTSC director of sales, passed away in December 2007. Redman received Knoxville's "Friendliest Face" PAULY award in 2007 for her exceptional professionalism and friendliness in the tourism industry. She served in the hospitality industry for ten years, previously working in Chattanooga and on the pre-opening of the Knoxville Convention Center. Redman is remembered in East Tennessee's hospitality industry as a "cheerleader for Knoxville," with her ever-smiling face and warming heart.
[ photo: Redman. ]
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